The Bombay High Court on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, allowed the withdrawal of a writ petition that challenged the life trustee structure of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT). A division bench comprising Justice Advait Sethna and Justice Sandesh Dadasaheb Patil granted permission to petitioner Suresh Tulsiram Patilkhede to withdraw his plea.
During the hearing, the bench orally observed that Patilkhede “has not been fair” and noted that he lacked the necessary legal standing, or 'locus', to maintain the petition before the court. The court further pointed out that Patilkhede was not the original complainant in the matter already pending before the Charity Commissioner and had failed to disclose crucial details regarding the original complainant within his writ petition.
Challenge to Trustee Structure
The petition had alleged that the current composition of the SRTT board violated provisions introduced under the Maharashtra Public Trust (Second Amendment) Act, 2025. Specifically, it claimed that the number of life trustees exceeded the statutory limit prescribed by the amended law, thereby rendering decisions taken by the trust after September 1, 2025, invalid.
The Maharashtra Public Trusts (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, introduced a new Section 30A(2), which caps the number of perpetual or life trustees at one-fourth of a trust’s total board strength, particularly when the trust deed does not specify such a provision. According to the petition, SRTT currently has six trustees, including three life trustees: Noel Tata, Jimmy N Tata, and Jehangir HC Jehangir. This composition allegedly surpasses the 25% ceiling stipulated by the amended legislation.
Financial Stakes and Meeting Significance
Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) holds a 23.56% stake in Tata Sons, the primary holding company of the Tata Group. Collectively, Tata Trusts own approximately 66% equity in Tata Sons.
The petitioner had also sought a stay on an upcoming SRTT meeting, which was scheduled for May 16. Earlier, on May 7, the High Court had declined to grant interim relief, suggesting the petitioner could approach a vacation bench if urgent relief was required. The proposed SRTT meeting holds significant importance as its agenda reportedly includes reconsidering Tata Trusts’ representation on the board of Tata Sons. Currently, Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata and vice chairman Venu Srinivasan serve as trust nominees on the Tata Sons board.
Senior Advocates Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Janak Dwarkadas, representing Tata Trusts and other respondents, had argued that the petitioner had no legal standing to challenge the trust’s structure through the writ petition.